Penance
by Evil intent
Summary: A figure from Charlie's past comes back to make him pay for past mistakes. When Don gets caught up in the middle and becomes his hostage Charlie has to do what he can to protect his brother, even if that means putting himself in harm's way.
1. Chapter 1

This is just going to be a quick little story involving a hostage situation and some more secrets. Enjoy:)

(and guys following my other stories, I'm really sorry but this popped into my head and I couldn't shake so I just decided to write it. I swear I'm going to update soon.)

It had started out as a good day. A witness had called in saying that he had a tip on the case Don and his team were currently working and he was supposed to be arriving any minute. Charlie had gotten a lead and was running through equations in the conference room, and David was standing next to him feeding information. Colby, Megan and Don were in the bullpen sifting through paperwork when Don glanced at the clock. He tucked away the file he was looking at and stood. "I'm gonna go head downstairs to meet the witness." He called to Megan as he grabbed his jacket from off the back of his chair and pulled it on. She nodded in affirmation, still flipping through her work.

As Don made his way to the elevator he took out his phone and the business card the witness had given him. Derek Williams, the card read. He punched the number into his phone and held it to his ear. After a few moments the man on the other end picked up.

"Williams." Came the curt response as he answered.

"Hello, this is Agent Don Eppes with the FBI, we spoke earlier." Don said formally.

"Ah, right. I'm almost there." Williams replied.

Don pinned the phone between his ear and shoulder as he tucked the card away and pushed the button to call the elevator. "Great, I'll be downstairs in just a moment to let you in."

"Ok, thanks." Williams said, "See you in a moment." With that he hung up and Don closed his phone and tucked it back in his pocket. The ride downstairs was relatively short and by the time Don reached to bottom Williams was waiting at the guard desk in front, a cup of coffee in his hand.

"He's with me." Don called to the guard on duty. The guard nodded and waved Williams through. "Thanks for agreeing to meet with me." Don said, genuinely grateful for the first lead they'd had in awhile.

Williams shook his head, "It's no trouble, anything to help." Don nodded and smiled in response as they got into the elevator.

The elevator moved slower this time and almost as soon as they started moving Williams asked, "Could you hold this while I tie my shoe?" Don turned to see him holding out his coffee.

"Yeah." Don said, taking the coffee. As Williams bent down Don turned back around. A small sound broke the silence and Don glanced back, only to find Williams shooting up, knife in hand. Don's hand flew to his gun but Williams' momentum caused his head to slam into the bottom of Don's chin- stunning him. The cup of coffee crashed to the ground and split open, forming a pool of coffee around their feet. Williams snatched the gun and wrapped his arm around Don's neck so that his chin rested in the crook of Williams' elbow. As Don gasped for breath he felt the cold barrel of his own gun press against his temple.

"Move, and I swear to God, I will kill you." Williams growled.

" _You've got to be kidding me."_ Don thought mentally. His mind races with a thousand ways this situation could go, and another thousand ways to get out of it. None of them ended well for him.

The elevator dinged and Don realized this was his last chance to disarm the situation before the doors opened and it became a hostage situation- with him right in the middle.

As if Williams read his mind he tightened his grip around his throat, making Don gasp. "I wouldn't try anything if I were you." Williams hissed, "I'm only after one person, no one else has to get hurt."

"Who?" Don croaked.

Williams pressed the gun harder against his head, a not so subtle threat. "Don't talk."

The doors opened.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As Don and Williams stepped out of the elevator it took a second for the agents in the building to register what was happening. But as soon as they did the effect was instantaneous. Suddenly there were three dozen guns facing him and Williams.

Charlie didn't realize what was happening. The first thing he felt was David shoving him to the ground and drawing his gun. "What's happening?" Charlie gasped.

"Stay down." David commanded. "There's a man with a gun."

"What?" Charlie whisper-yelled.

David peeked over the edge of the table, his face twisting into an expression of angry fear. "He's got Don." He said quietly.

Charlie's face paled and he began to panic. "Oh God, oh God." He whispered. He tried to stand but David pushed him back down.

"Stay. Down." David commanded again. "I'm gonna go out there, do not move." He emphasized the last three words, looking Charlie straight in the eyes. Charlie nodded mutely and David clapped him of the shoulder in reassurance before leveling his gun and entering the bullpen.

Megan looked at Don, "Are you alright?" Her voice was strong but she was clearly worried.

Williams answered for him, "He's fine, but if you don't give me what you want he won't be."

"What do you want, Mr…" She trailed off, leaving it open so Williams could answer.

"My name is Derek Williams." He snapped, "And I want James Donovan."

~Charlie's head shot up when he heard Williams say his name, but when he said "James Donovan" Charlie's face paled. His mind raced, frantically grasping at straws for what to do. " _Oh God."_ He thought, " _This can't be happening."_ ~

"There's no one here by that name." Megan replied evenly.

Williams cocked his head, "He might be using a different name now, but he's here." He tightened his grip on Don again and as much as he tried not to he couldn't help but let out a small choking noise. This time Williams shouted, though he addressed one man in particular. "Come on out Jamie!" He called tauntingly, "I know how you _so detest_ violence." When his shouts were met with silence he grew angry. "Get your ass out here!" He screamed, "Face me! Face what you did!" The FBI agents tightened their grips on their guns. This man was clearly unstable.

~Charlie swallowed back the bile that was rising in his throat. Moving quickly, he pulled his hair back and twisted it in a knot behind his head, tucking it behind his ears and securing it with a pen. He yanked off his jacket and rolled up his shirt so that the cuffs rested at his elbows. He forced himself to breathe slowly, it was now or never. He stood and walked out of the room.~

Since Williams was turning his head back and forth, scanning for this Donovan person, and the other agents were all facing him, Don was the first person to notice Charlie. His heart kept into his throat and his stomach dropped. He would have yelled for Charlie to get somewhere safe but all his energy was focused on simply breathing. Instead he just stood there, eyes wide with horror as Williams's eyes found his brother.

"You son of a bitch." Williams growled. Don saw the agents glance back, David, Megan, Colby and a few others widened their eyes when they saw Charlie approach.

"Charlie get back." David muttered.

"No, no, no." Williams said quickly, before Charlie could say anything. "Stay right here." Don's heart thudded in his chest but he couldn't help but notice the way Charlie looked. He seemed much calmer than he should have been and he was dressed differently. Charlie slowly weaved through the assortment of agents so he stood in front of them.

The majority of agents looked very worried at the way he was placing himself directly in front of Williams. Charlie held his arms up in the surrender position as if to show Williams he didn't have a weapon. Williams sneered, "What are you doing here?"

"Working." Charlie replied shortly. "Why don't you let that man go and we can talk?"

" _What the hell is he doing?"_ Don thought, and by the looks of the others they were thinking the same thing.

"Sure." Williams said with a scoff, "We'll just talk."

"There's no reason to bring other people into this." Charlie said.

"Like Sarah was brought into it?" Williams asked angrily.

Everyone was thoroughly confused, Don more than the rest.

"Charlie," David commanded, "get back." His tone was fierce but Charlie made no indication that he was willing to move.

Williams' grin was wolffish, "Charlie? Really?"

Charlie shrugged, "A good name as any."

The tone of the conversation changed dramatically. "I already killed the others, Mike and Rebecca and Izzie." Williams said. "But I'm sure you heard about that already."

A flicker of hurt passed Charlie's face but it passed quickly.

When Williams spoke again his tone was harsh, "You're next, James."

"James." Don thought, his heart thudding with fear for his brother, "As in James Donovan? What the hell is Charlie doing?"

"Let the agent go." Charlie said evenly, as if someone hadn't just threatened to kill him.

Don felt Williams shake his head, "No, I think I'll keep him as leverage. You always did have a thing about people getting killed, at least that's what you said." The last sentence was said in an accusatory tone.

Charlie exhaled sharply, "I'm sorry Derek, but please- don't bring other people into this."

This time Williams sounded furious as he screamed, "You killed her, James! You killed her and you didn't care! Now I'm going to kill you." Don's mind raced with a thousand questions, none he had answers for. He could see the agents tightening their grips on their guns, trying to find a solution.

"I didn't know." Charlie said, his voice pleading. "None of us knew."

"You were supposed to lead us!" Williams screamed, "You were in charge! You told us the building was safe!"

"There was no way anyone could have known about the bomb." Charlie pleaded, "It was a mistake."

"One that cost Sarah her life." Williams spat.

"I'm sorry, Derek, but let him go- he's got nothing to do with this!" Charlie said, his voice rising.

"Do you know how long it took to find you?" Williams asked, "I had to comb every camera in the city to look for your photo."

Charlie took a step closer, "If you're going to do something, take it elsewhere. Just let him go." He motioned with both hands, one to Don and one behind him to wave at the group.

"And you'll just walk out of here with me." Williams stated flatly.

" _No_!" Don screamed mentally. He had no idea what was happening but all he cared about was protecting his brother and his people. He tried to shout but couldn't get the breath. His mouth gaped like a fish uselessly. The prolonged pressure and pain was causing the edges of his vision to be tinted with black, and Don knew that if this held up for much longer he would be rendered unconscious.

Thankfully Megan voiced Don's thought for him. "Charlie, no!" She shouted.

Don felt Williams shake his head again. "No." He said. "We leave this room and they'll just follow me." To this Charlie said nothing, he knew Williams was right. "Do you have any family, James?" He asked.

Charlie shook his head, his voice impassive, "You know I don't." More black crept into Don's vision but those words sent a stab of pain through his heart. Charlie was trying to protect him and Don couldn't do anything to protect him back.

"Got a girl at home?"

Charlie shook his head again, "No." Everything in Don screamed for him to help. He knew Williams was about to do something but he could feel the world fading. The agents in the rooms tired to line up shots around Don's body, well aware of what was about to happen, but the way Williams had positioned him made him the perfect human shield. There was no way to hit Wiliams without injuring Don.

"That's good." Williams said, "That's good." It was impossible to breathe at this point and as hard as Don tried to fight against it, the darkness overtook his vision and his body sagged. The last thing he heard was Williams' cruel words, "Then no one will miss you." Williams shoved Don's body to the floor and raised his gun. Immediately the agents in the room opened fire and William's was struck down. It was one shot that resonated in Don's mind however- the one closer to him than the others. Williams got off one shot, and Don, Williams, and Charlie all fell.

Don coughed and sputtered as he gasped for air, Charlie lay on the ground as blood spread across his chest, and Williams lay dead- a dozen bullets in his chest. David, Megan and Colby reached Charlie first, motioning the other agents that crowded to go check on Don and Williams. One agent pressed two fingers to Willaims' neck and shook his head, but kicked the gun away anyway. David sheed his jacket and balled it up, using it to put pressure on the wound. The hole was located almost dead center in Charlie's chest, and blood slowly seeped out and pooled below him. Two agents helped Don to his feet, still breathing heavily, but once he caught sight of his brother on the floor he ran to his side and fell on his knees next to him. David moved his hands aside so Don could take over as Megan slid her hands under Charlie's head.

Charlie gasped and his breath came out in short pants as he gritted his teeth against the pain. "An ambulance will be here in three minutes!" an agent called, pulling his phone away from his ear.

"You hear that, Charlie?" Don whispered as he tried to comfort his brother, "Three minutes. You just have to hold on for three moore minutes."

Charlie nodded, "I'm okay, Donnie." He said slowly, each word coming out as a heavy pant.

Don chuckled humorlessly, "Yeah buddy, sure you are."

Megan leaned closer so that he could see her face, "You're going to be fine, Charlie." she said sweetly, "It's going to be okay."

"Mmhm." Charlie mumbled, "Don, 'm tired."

"I know buddy, but you can't close your eyes, okay? Just another minute okay?"

"Mmhm." Charlie mumbled, but even as he said it his eyes began to slip shut. Colby, who was closest to his face, tapped his cheek lightly.

"Charlie?" he said, loud enough to rouse him, "Come on man, you gotta open your eyes."

Charlie let out a shaky breath but he managed to flicker his heavy eyelids open. All he could think about was how tired we was and how much pain he felt and how everything seemed so far away. As he slipped away he noticed another thing- the numbers that were always running through his head were quiet. His eyes closed again and the pain vanished.

~At the hospital~

Don sat on the plastic chair outside the operating room staring at his hands. Despite the fact that he had scrubbed them vigorously to rid them of his brothers blood he would swear that he could still see them stained red. Megan and Colby sat next to him, David was on his was to pick up Alan and Larry was driving himself and Amita. " _They should all be arriving any minute."_ Don thought. The thought of facing his father scared Don more then he would care to admit. While he knew that it wasn't his fault, he still felt responsible for the events that had occurred. Questions still ran through his mind; who was Sarah, when had this supposedly happened, and why was Charlie being targeted and called James? He wanted answers, and more importantly he wanted his brother safe, not in the middle of a surgery because of a bullet in his chest.

David and Alan entered the waiting room, breaking Don out of his trance. "Dad." Don said, relieved. He stood and walked towards his father enveloping him in a hug. Alan hugged him back tightly.

'What happened, Donnie?" he whispered. As they pulled away Don couldn't help but feel another stab of guilt at the expression of fear reflected in his father's eyes and in his voice.

Don stuttered for a moment, trying to find out what he actually knew. "There was a man," He started, "he came into our office as a witness, then he pulled a gun on me." Alan gasped but Don continued on, "He pulled me into the room and started screaming for someone called James Donovan." At that name Don thought he saw a flash of recognition but he ignored it, "Charlie came out and Williams-the suspect- started screaming at him. I tried dad, I swear, but his grip around my neck was so tight and I passed out. The next thing I knew I was being helped up off the floor and Charlie was on the ground." Tears rose in Don's eyes as he recounted the events and he felt a childish helplessness as his father pulled him into another hug. Don saw David, Colby and Megan turn away from them so that they could have a moment to themselves, but it was broken as Larry and Amita rushed in.

Don stood and Amita crashed into him, hugging him fiercely. Don ran a hand through her hair in an effort to comfort her as she cried. Larry walked to Alan and the others, who began explaining the situation. "What happened?" Amita cried into Don;s shoulder.

"There was a man, at the office." Don said simply, not wanting to relive the events a third time. "He shot Charlie.'

Amita pulled away, "How could he even get in?" she asked, sniffling.

"He had a hostage." Don said quietly.

Amita's eyes traveled to Don's neck slowly, and, seeing the already forming bruises, asked, "Are you okay?"

Don nodded, "I should have been faster. He shouldn't have been able to compromise me."

Amita smiled sadly and laid a hand on his shoulder, "It wasn't your fault, Don." She said softly, "You couldn't have done anything. Don't beat yourself over it. Charlie's going to be fine." Don nodded in responce but mentally he berated himself for letting Amita and his father comfort him. It was supposed to be the other way around, he was supposed to comfort them. Don couldn't help thinking about how backwards this all was. This never should have happened, let alone to Charlie. He was a math professor for crying out loud, he should be getting shot at or have people trying to kill him. And yet, in the back of his mind, Don wasn't sure. Charlie had seemed like a completely different person when he was facing Williams, and he clearly knew him. Somehow, at one point in time, Charlie had worked with Williams, and apparently he had led them someplace that got someone killed.

"Don?" Amita asked, noticing his far away look, "Are you sure you're okay?"

Don nodded and tried to flash her a reassuring smile, "I'm okay."

Amita's smile was sad again, "It's going to be okay Don, Charlie will pull through. He's a lot stronger then he looks, you know."

"Yeah." Don agreed, but he knew that he and Amita were thinking about two different things. "Why don't you sit down." he said, "I have to go talk to my father." Amita nodded and walked to Alan. She motioned towards Don and said something that Don couldn't quite catch. When Alan nodded and rose to meet Don she sat down next to Larry.

"What is it, Donnie?" Alan asked.

Don glanced around, "Why don't we go somewhere a little more private." he said. Alan looked confused but followed Don nonetheless. They stopped walking after rounding two corners and took a seat in the chairs positioned against the wall.

"What's wrong?" Alan asked again.

"He called him James Donovan." Don said. This time he watched his father's eyes carefully, and there it was again- the flash of recognition. "Who is that?"

Alan shook his head, "It was a few years ago, Donnie. Back when you were still in Albuquerque."

"What happened?" Don asked, desperate for information.

"Charlie had been working with various organizations before he joined with you at the FBI." Alan started. "I just remember him telling me that he was going to be on a case that took him away for a few days. I didn't hear from him for three days, and then when he came back he had cuts and bruises all over his face and body. He refused to let me take him to a hospital and he was adamant that I didn't tell you. He said that the problem had been taken care of. I shouldn't have listened to him." Alan said sadly.

Don shook his head, "This wasn't your fault dad."

Alan nodded, "I know, but it feels like I could have done more to stop this."

"Me too, dad." Don said, "The cuts and bruises, did they look like something he could have gotten in an explosion?"

Alan thought for a moment before looking back at Don, "Now that you say that, yeah they did look like that."

Don exhaled sharply, the pieces were starting to come together. "And the name?" He asked.

"It was the same night. Someone came to the house, started screaming at Charlie- calling him 'Donovan'. Charlie called someone else and they took the other man away. Before he left he called Charlie 'James'. I put two and two together." Alan said.

"Damn." Don said quietly, "I'm willing to bet the man that was screaming was Williams."

"Why would he shoot Charlie?" Alan asked, "That's what I don't understand. How could something go so wrong in three days."

Don sighed, "Do you really want to know?"

Alan looked appalled, "He's my son, of course I want to know."

Don held his hands up, "Alright, I'm sorry. From what I've pieced together, it seems like Charlie was leading some kind of team. They went into a building they thought was clear and it turned out it wasn't. Some kind of bomb went off and killed a woman named Sarah, who was Williams' girlfriend or wife or something. Williams then spent years trying to track down his ex-teammates' new identities to kill them. He said that he already killed the other members and that Charlie was the last on his 'list'."

Alan ran a hand down his face, "My lord."

"Yeah." Don said with a nod. After a moment he said, "We should head back to the others. It's been long enough that the doctors might have some information." Alan nodded, and the two men wandered back to the waiting room and took their seats. It would be another two hours before they heard anything.

~Two hours later~

Megan, Colby, David, Larry, Amita, and Alan all slept. It was very late, or very early in the morning- however you want to see it. Only Don was awake as he sat hunched in his chair, on the verge of falling asleep himself. It was then the doors opened and a doctor walked out. Don jumped to his feet, jostling both Megan and Alan, who were on either side of him, who in turn roused the others. Within seconds they were all awake and eager for information.

"Family of Charles Eppes?" The doctor asked, his nameplate read "Adams".

"Yes." came the unanimous answer.

Adams nodded, "Right then, so Mr. Eppes was fairly lucky. The bullet missed both his heart and lungs. However it did strike a rib, which in turn caused a part to fracture off and cause internal bleeding. We have since removed the bullet, the fragment and repaired the internal bleeding. The first 24 hours are critical but we are very hopeful that his will pull through with no complications."

"Thank you, doctor." Don said sincerely, "Can we see him?"

"Unfortunately visiting hours don't start for another six hours." Adams said sympathetically, "So I suggest that you all head home and get some rest, no offence but you look like you need it."

Don nodded, "We can be back in six hours?"

The doctor nodded, "Yes but I can't promise that Charles will be awake. We have him on some heavy sedatives as well as pain medications, so if he does wake up he might not be fully lucid."

"Thank you." Alan said, relief evident in his voice.

Adams nodded and smiled, "It's what I'm here for. I wish you all the best." with that he retreated back through the double doors that lead to the operating rooms and the group was left amongst themselves.

Alan looked at Don, "So, home?"

Don nodded, "We'll be back tomorrow."

"Us too." Amita said, motioning to her and Larry. The three agents echoed Amita's statement.

"I'll drive you two back." David said to Alan and Don, knowing that Don had ridden in the ambulance, therefore leaving his car at the FBI headquarters.

Don nodded his thanks, and the three headed out together. Don's mind was no longer filled with questions, just that through that his brother was going to be okay, and that's all mattered to him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: so that's it. That ended up being a lot longer than I originally planned. Depending on what you guys think, I might post an epilogue about Charlie's story and him telling Don what happened (possibly while high on hospital drugs?) Drop a review if you'd like to see that, and as always- thank you for reading.


	2. Chapter 2

Well, one person asked me to continue so thank you for your amazing comment Lady Asphodelic! I hope you enjoy Charlie's story:)

xxxxxxx

Don ran a hand down his rough face as he shifted in the uncomfortable chair. His father was sitting in the chair across from him on the other side of Charlie's bed. The genius was still asleep, though it had only been a few hours since he had gotten out from the operating room. Don was almost dozing off, with his head resting down so that it was resting on his chest, when he felt Charlie's hand shift under his own. He shot his head up and was leaning closer to his brother in a flash. His actions woke Alan, who leaned forward as well. Don brushed a stray curl of hair away from his face and looked at his still too pale face for any signs of waking up. However, Charlie's eyes remained tightly closed and Don found himself leaning back in his chair in disappointment, Alan following his lead. As they fell back into silence Don couldn't help but feel a little bit relieved that his brother was still asleep. Mentally he cursed himself for feeling like that, but still the thought remained. Don couldn't help but feel guilty for what had happened, despite his team and father telling him he shouldn't numerous times. "I should have protected him." The emotional side of his mind said as the logical side told him that as a hostage there was nothing he could have done. The big brother part of him mind however focused on the fact that Charlie had a whole secret side of him- one that had something to do with James Donovan and Derek Williams. Alan, unable to fall back asleep, offered to run to a shop for some coffee. Don, sick of hospital coffee, agreed and thanked him. It was another five minutes after their father had left the room when Charlie moved his hand again. Don leaned forward in his chair again, scanning Charlie's face anxiously for signs of wakefulness. As he watched expectantly, Charlie began to flicker his eyelids open.

"Come on, buddy." Don whispered encouragingly, "That's it, just open your eyes." Charlie complied, sluggishly prying open his eyes and blinking. His eyes were both brighter and duller than normal. They lacked the gleam of knowledge and curiosity that usually accompanied the genius, but it was made up for by the haze of drugs that filled them. The sight made Don feel like a shard of ice was being shot into his heart and was traveling down to settle in his stomach. "How're you feeling, buddy?" Don asked softly. Charlie's movements were slow and lethargic as he rolled his head and eyes so that he faced his brother.

"My head feels funny." He said slowly, not quite slurring but very close. "It's buzzing."

Don chuckled, "Yeah, Charlie, they have you on a lot of stuff."

Charlie grinned lopsidedly, "The numbers are gone."

"What?" Don asked, drawing his eyebrows together, "What numbers?"

Charlie motioned to his head almost absentmindedly, "The numbers. They're always there." He grinned again, "They're not here now though. That only usually happened when I'm drunk."

Don nodded like he understood, but in all honestly he didn't have a clue what Charlie meant. He chose to disregard the comment about Charlie being drunk. Deciding to make the most of his alone time with Charlie while he was, incapacitated, he chose to bring up what had happened earlier.

"Hey Charlie?" He said, "Do you know who James Donovan is?"

Charlie shook his head, "Nope. It's classified."

Don shook his head, "Well you said you were him earlier, so it's not very classified anymore."

Charlie furrowed his brow, "Damn." He muttered under his breath, "Bob's going to kill me."

Don stifled a laugh, "You know you can tell me anything Charlie, such as why Derek Williams was trying to kill you?"

Charlie let out a shuddering sigh, "I killed his girlfriend." He said quietly. His voice was filled with sorrow.

"What happened?" Don asked gently.

"Five years ago I used to lead a team." Charlie started, "It was compiled of some of the smartest people in the US. I was the leader. Since we were all consultants they gave us each fake names to operate under. That's all we knew each other by, well that and our skills. I went by the name James Donovan, I was the mathematician. I worked with Derek Williams- a scientist who was brilliant at forensics, Isobella Kera- a profiler and an expert at behavioral analysis, and Sarah Black- a hacker who could decrypt anything. Sarah and Derek were seeing each other. They tried to keep it hidden but we all knew. We worked together for a few years, tackling some of the NSA's most difficult cases. We were trained and treated as agents but when we weren't working together we did our own things. On the last case we worked we were called together to gather evidence on a man named Dimitri Vescula. He was a crime lord with ties to a terrorist group, and the NSA needed us to get everything we could on what they were planning. They told us that Vescula and his gang would be out of a warehouse for about an hour while they detained them. That was our window. We didn't have a lot of time so we just did a quick sweep. It seemed safe to we breached." Charlie stopped and took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. He brushed a hand under his eye to sweep away any stray tears.

Don gripped his hand tighter, "It's okay, Chuck." He said, "You don't have to tell me everything." He pushed aside the thoughts about Charlie apparently belonging to a secret team of geniuses and focused on supporting his brother.

Charlie shook his head, "No, no, it's okay. I can do this." He took another deep breath and continued, "We entered the room and began collecting as much information as we could. Papers, computer data, pictures- anything. We still don't know who actually triggered the alarm but all of the sudden one went off. The computer Isobelle was hacking shut off and the room started locking down. We didn't even know they had security measures like that in place. The whole room was filled with this beeping and we just broke into a panic as we tried to find the bomb and disarm it. We didn't find it in time." His voice broke in the last sentence and tears flowed freely down his cheeks but he stubbornly refused to make a sound.

Don swallowed the lump that rose in his throat and leaned over so that he could hug his brother. The two brothers embraced each other as Charlie cried.

~Meanwhile Alan stood outside the room, two coffees in his hands. His eyes brimmed with tears as well, but he knew that this was a moment for his sons. He turned back around and wandered to the sitting area where he remained.~

"It's okay, it's okay." Charlie whispered, pushing Don away weakly.

Don shook his head, "No, Charlie, it's not! Have you ever talked to anyone about this?"

Charlie shook his head, "No. It's classified."

Don sighed and shook his head before running a hand through his hair. "Do you want to hear the rest?" Charlie asked tentatively.

Don nodded, knowing that Charlie needed to get it out of his system. With Don's permission, Charlie continued. "The whole room went up in flames. I was thrown against a wall and lost consciousness for a few moments. When I woke up the fire was everywhere, I could barely breathe- the smoke was so thick. I managed to find Isobelle and I carried her to a window so she could get out before I went back for Derek and Sarah. When I found them he was cradling her body. She had been closest to the bomb- she died immediately. He refused to leave her, but he was weakened by the smoke. I managed to pull him away and get us out seconds before the whole building went up. I passed out again, and woke up hours later in a hospital. Derek was sitting next to me. As soon as he realized I was awake he began screaming at me. He blamed me for Sarah's death. He said that she was still alive, that I left her behind. He had to be dragged from the room. The next night I went home and he followed me there. He threatened me and dad, I'm sure if you were there he would have threatened you too. I called our handler and he took Derek away. That was the last I heard from him. That same night I got a call saying the team was disbanded. Sarah was dead, Derek was unstable, and Isobella had been paralyzed by the blast. And I was just fine." He spat the last sentence with such venom that Don realized he blamed himself just as much as Derek blamed him. All the things he had said to get Williams to release him had been an act.

"It wasn't your fault." Don assured, "You couldn't have known."

Charlie just shook his head, "I was their leader, and I failed them." He wiped another tear from his face and carried on with the story, "I found an article a few weeks ago for a professor in New York named Elisa Baker being killed. It was Isobelle. I knew it was only a matter of time before Derek came for me too. I never thought it would be like this." He looked sadly at the bruises on Don's throat. "I'm so sorry, Don." He whispered sadly.

"Charlie, don't ever apologize." Don said forcefully, "None of this was your fault, you hear me? None of it."

Charlie nodded and sniffled, "Thank you Don." He said.

"For what?" Don asked.

"For listening." Charlie replied.

Don smiled at his little brother, "I'm always going to be here for you, Charlie, no matter what. Anytime you need to talk, buddy. I'm here."

Charlie smiled back, but even as he did so he could feel his eyelids growing heavier. The drugs combined with the stress were making him sleepy and his bed was just so warm. He felt as if a weight had been lifted from his chest and the face of his brother slowly began to slide out of focus. Don saw Charlie being pulled back under as his eyelids began flickering. He laid a hand comfortingly on Charlie's knee.

"Get some sleep, buddy." Don said, "You deserve it." Charlie nodded and hummed softly as his eyes slid shut. Within moments his breathing deepened and evened out, a sure tell he was asleep. Don leaned back in his chair, there were still many questions left unanswered for him but he was content with waiting until Charlie was ready to share them all. Alan knocked on the door softly and entered, handing the coffee to Don.

As Don nodded his thanks, Alan whispered, "What did he say?"

Don just shook his head, it was Charlie's story to tell, "He just had to get some things off his chest."

Alan nodded, and the two drifted back into a comfortable silence. It might not be totally resolved, but Don knew that if he gave his brother time eventually it all would be.


End file.
